Child of the Cave: Book 1
by beingbored
Summary: AU: While on a quest to destroy a magical creature, Arthur and the other knights are saved by a young boy with impossibly strong magic. After taking the child back to Camelot, it is discovered that a well-known lord is to be visiting Camelot. But this man has a connection with Gwaine and he seems to want something from the crown as well.
1. Chapter 1

**Alright everyone, here is my new story. I personally love reading about a younger Merlin so I figured I should write something about a younger Merlin. I hope you all enjoy. Gwen and Elyan's father is dead in this book, killed the same way as in the show.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin. **

"Do we know where he's at?" the captain of the guards asked in a venomous tone. He was absolutely furious. How hard was it to keep track of one little animal? Honestly, between this and the jumper last month, he would have thought this was a weak stronghold. Though they had never lost a monster before, perhaps the winds were just changing.

"No, we have no idea. He just vanished," the other replied in a shaky tone. Why wouldn't he be? The captain was a dangerous man and did not like to fail his lord. Then again, perhaps it was time for this whole operation to crumble and fall in a heap of rubble after all the years of hard work the captain had put in. The man gritted his teeth and vehemently refused to allow such a possibility. He would keep this place afloat and ready for his master's orders. He would not fail and bring dishonor and shame upon himself. Though he knew there would be great repercussions for losing this one, the guard knew he could worm his way out of it. The thing was still so young, there was no way it would be able to survive for long. Though its death would probably bring greater punishment then merely losing track of it. The captain didn't want to think about what his boss had in store once word got out about what had happened.

Though, to be fair, they were warned that this might happen, that this would happen. The idiot druid the king kept locked up in the tower had forewarned that they could not contain such strong power, especially when the boy had just a "great destiny". Personally, the guard couldn't see it. The kid was just too weak to ever be worth anything. He didn't even understand why the king bothered to keep him around. Perhaps the animal held some special place in the king's heart, though that was doubtful. The only thing his boss loved was himself and power. Apparently, the brat was going to help give it to him. Destiny or not, though, the animal belonged here and nowhere else.

"How long has he been gone?" the captain spat, trying to weed at least one answer from the man who was supposed to be in charge of guarding the child.

"Um, well, we…" the guard stuttered. The leader growled and tried not to cut off his fellow guardsman's head. Though it was getting quite difficult. The stuttering suggested that the man wasn't doing his job like he was supposed to.

"Spit. It. Out!" the captain shouted.

"At least three hours," came the meek reply. At this, the senior guard lost his temper and plunged the sword through the man's heart. The others stopped and stared at the body that laid bleeding at the senior's feet. The damn thing had almost three hours of a head start. A lot could happen in three hours and now the chances of finding him were very slim. The guard kicked the dead man away from him and turned to the others standing in the room.

"I want him found and I want him found now. Our lord will not be happy that we lost such a prize and I will ensure that it is entirely on your heads and not mine. FIND HIM!" he shouted. The others jumped and scurried about like rats, tripping over each other in an effort to appease their leader. The senior guard growled and turned to the wall that was lined with cages. Several grubby people were stuffed inside. Cowering as far away from the metal bars as possible.

You could tell which ones had been here awhile. They were the ones with dead and empty eyes. The ones that sat closest to the bars. They stayed away from each other and did everything asked. The others did everything asked as well, mostly out of fear and not because they were too brain dead to resist. There were a few troublemakers, but those were quickly taken care of with the loss of a tongue or ear. Some of the more mouthier ones took several days of torture, but they were broken in the end. They all were broken in the end.

The new arrivals were more likely to huddle together in the back of the cages. Their eyes still held the spark of life. They still had hope that one day they would be rescued. Surprisingly, the jumper and the escapee had also stayed strong, despite being here for almost four years. The guard should have known that this would have happened. Not because of some old cook, but because those two were far too alive. They were biding their time before they were able to escape. There probably wasn't an elaborate plan. The boy simply saw an opportunity and took it. The guard flew forward with an animalistic cry and slammed a metal pole against the bars. The sound resonated and caused the occupants to jump back, even the old timers with no light left in their eyes skidded away in fear. The guard was seething and breathing heavily. A stupid mistake and now he might never live to see another morning. It was then that the guard remembered that although the boy was strong, he was also very young. He wouldn't have had the courage to do this without someone to at least push him out the door. The guard decided to ask about this.

"The boy is powerful, but he couldn't have orchestrated this all on his own. If you tell me who helped him, I'll let you go," the guard falsely promised. No one spoke up. He had hoped that the new arrivals would answer immediately, given that they were unaware of the true nature of the guards, but not even freedom broke their silence.

"I'm trying to be patient with you all. You know how quickly I lose my patience," he threatened. An old man, one of the longest surviving, stood up and made his way to the front of the cage. The guard sighed. This one was completely crazy. There probably wouldn't be any useful information out of him. But he still decided to humor the man. Maybe later he could convince his lord to let him butcher the old timer. He wasn't much use now. He was here as more of a relic and trophy than anything.

"Do you know something?" the guard asked sweetly. The old man look at the guard with eyes that had been blind for many years. Despite the fact that he couldn't see the guard, the man still appeared to be staring right at him. His eyes were boring deep into the guard's soul. The captain felt exposed and raw, like nothing was hidden from the man. He could read his entire life's story just by staring ahead blankly. The guard shook off the ridiculous thought. This man was blind. He couldn't see anything, much less the guard's soul. Still, it felt like an eternity before the old man spoke.

"Emrys is going home."

1 Year Later

Arthur didn't even want to begin explaining to his father how idiotic this plan was. It was completely and totally insane. There was no way this would ever work. But he had to try anyways. Uther was insistent.

"Father, I can't go after something if I don't even know what it looks like," Arthur said through gritted teeth. He was trying very hard not to lose his patience. Sometimes his father could be so stubborn. Though it probably didn't help that Arthur was just as stubborn. Uther slammed his fist down on the table.

"Arthur, this beast is dangerous and magical. It is destroying crops. You have to figure out what it is before it gets worse," Uther snapped. Arthur rolled his eyes. Leave it to his father to make something seem important by calling it magical.

Leon cleared his throat uncomfortably and attempted to regain control of the situation. He hated Sir Ian for retiring last year. He was the only one besides Gaius who could actually keep control of Uther and Arthur's temper. Since Leon was head knight, the responsibility now lay with him. He was just glad the Lady Morgana had taken ill before the meeting so that he wouldn't have to deal with three stubborn opinions. Though Leon silently suspected Morgana just didn't want to attend and made up an illness, knowing Uther would allow her a respite. Leon didn't know how you could even have three different sides to this argument. But if anyone could make it work, it was the royal family. Maybe he could pass off the duties to Lancelot. Knowing the man, he would take it as a great honor and not as a great chore. Regardless, Leon was here now and needed to create a plan of action soon.

"Sire, I agree with Arthur. We have no idea what this creature looks like or what it is capable of. Give us more time to research and ask around to see if anyone has seen it. If we know what it is, we might be more successful on the first hunt rather than going on many different hunts." Uther turned to Leon and glared at the knight. Leon tried not to shrink under that stare but it was rather difficult. The king had one of those looks that threatened Leon with an execution if he didn't watch his next words carefully.

"You are to hunt the beast down. Do not come back until you find it. And don't even think about seeing Morgana. She is ill and needs her rest," Uther snarled before sweeping out of the council chambers. Arthur and Leon sank back defeated.

"Cyrus," Leon called to his servant. The boy stepped forward with a bow. "Gather the usual men and tell them to be prepared to leave in half an hour. You then can go home until I return," Leon commanded.

"Right away, sir," he replied. He gave another bow before heading off to do what Leon had asked. Leon turned to Arthur.

"It will be okay. We have nothing to fear," he tried to soothe the young prince's troubled mind.

"I just have a feeling about today," Arthur replied.

"A bad feeling?"

"Not exactly. It's not a very good feeling either," Arthur explained.

"Perhaps we should ask our old friend," Leon suggested. Arthur shook his head.

"We'll see what we can find first. If nothing else one of us can ride back and ask Gaius for help," Leon proposed. Arthur nodded and stood to prepare for the journey.

"Why can't my father just be patient? Yes, it has destroyed crops and villages, but there have been no actual sightings. Furthermore, there have been no damages for the last week and a half," Arthur grumbled.

"Perhaps it just needed a break," Leon said.

"This was something that was razing one village to the ground everyday. This doesn't strike me as the kind of thing that just stops 'cause it wants to," Arthur said. "I want it gone as much as my father. But at the expense of resources that could be used to better protect the people, I'm not sure if that's the right way to go about this."

"There is no right way to go about this. You just have to do what you think is right." Leon shook his head and continued to follow the prince through the castle.

"I'm just afraid that this is a trap, or nothing at all. Perhaps just some overactive bandits," Arthur sighed. Leon decided to try and focus on what they did know instead of what they didn't

"The last reports came from up north, closer to Cenred's kingdom," Leon said. Arthur nodded and made his way out into the courtyard. The other knights were all ready to go.

"This better be good, princess," Gwaine grumbled, looking as though he had just been pulled out of bed. It was almost noon. On a Tuesday. But Arthur didn't ask since he didn't want to know what Gwaine had been up to last night.

"There have been reports of a creature attacking villages. Our mission is to go and dispose of this creature," Arthur explained.

"Do we know what we're up against?" Elyan asked. Arthur sighed and massaged his brow.

"No, we don't know what we're looking for," he responded truthfully. Gwaine snorted.

"So for all we know, this thing could be a rabbit or a wyvern," he muttered. Leon was about to admonish him when Arthur spoke again.

"Listen, this thing has burned several villages to the ground. Many are without homes because of it. Others have lost everything, their entire lives, their family, their friends. It isn't active now, but it may come back and destroy more lives than it already has. We need to stop it while it is still inactive and possibly recuperating," Arthur said. Gwaine snapped his mouth closed and nodded. Most of the group knew what it was like to lose their home and family because of monsters, be them man or beast. They weren't going to let innocents suffer simply because the creature was unknown. They were going to kill this beast if it was the last thing they did.

oOoOoOo

"So we're just going to head north until we hit an enemy kingdom?" Gwaine asked, leaning casually on his horse.

"The last sightings were somewhere near Cenred's kingdoms. We need to ask and see if anyone saw anything," Leon clarified. Gwaine sighed.

"We really have no idea what we're doing," he muttered.

"At least we have a plan," Percival said with a small smile. "The first step has to be figuring out what we're up against before any action can be taken. If we don't ask around, this thing will remain unknown." Gwaine spurred his horse forward, unwilling to admit that Percival was right. Gwaine liked helping people, he really did. But sometimes it felt as though Uther was becoming more paranoid and forcing others to suffer with him because of it. Gwaine would have followed Arthur to the ends of the Earth, but Arthur wasn't calling the shots, not yet. Lancelot sat quietly in the back. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. Something was off about this whole thing. He could just feel it. Lancelot spurred his horse to the front by Leon's and Arthur.

"Don't be alarmed but I think we're being followed," Lancelot muttered. Leon sat up straighter and locked eyes with Percival. Percival nodded and nudged his horse into Gwaine and Elyan's who quickly got the message. Gwaine began to recount the tale about two twins from Samos who he had once spent the weekend with while Lancelot continued to tell Arthur and Leon about the situation.

"I've noticed the bushes moving along with us for about ten minutes now. The feelings been there ever since we entered the forest," Lancelot explained. In the background, Elyan shouted at Gwaine to shut up which caused Gwaine to proceed to try and hook Elyan up so he could get laid and relax.

"Do you know how many?" Arthur asked. Lancelot shook his head.

"I think there's only the one for now. But I can't be sure," he admitted. Gwaine's story stopped abruptly as the group became aware of a figure standing in the middle of the road. The other's caught site of the man and slowed their horses. He was standing a good ten yards from the horses. He had on a wide brimmed, brown hat that cast a shadow over the better part of his face. He also had a brown cloak draped around his shoulders, fluttering in the breeze. From the distance, Gwaine couldn't really tell how tall the man was, but he was definitely muscular. Gwaine swore he could make out a smirk from underneath the shadow. He stiffened in the saddle and prepared for a fight. Something was off about this man.

"Do you need something?" Lancelot called out. The man just stood there and continued to study the knights. Leon reached down to draw out his sword.

"Don't do that, sir knight," the man said.

"And why not?" Elyan asked. The man chuckled.

"You are completely surrounded. You are on horseback. You are outnumbered. The chances of you getting out of this alive are very slim. Just surrender and come with me," the man explained.

"Why would we come with a common bandit?" Gwaine snapped.

"I am a mercenary. My name is Drake and my employer wants the prince," he said. Arthur bristled at this. His men were being threatened because of him. He never liked it when others were in danger because of him. It made him hate the title of prince even more. The fact that just being associated with him could cause so many people to be in danger. It wasn't fair.

"We can still fight you," Arthur said. He hoped that his voice was stronger than what he felt at the moment. In all honesty, Arthur was afraid. This mercenary was so damn calm. It was as if nothing could go wrong with his plan. Overconfidence was some men's downfall, but it was also some men's strength. The forest was suddenly too silent and the trees too thick. Arthur felt like everything was closing in on him and he couldn't do anything to stop it.

"Oh, my dear prince, you can. You might even kill a few of my men. But, you are the only one my employer wants. The others are disposable. We won't hesitate to kill them. Come with me and I can promise no harm will come to them," the man said. Arthur hesitated for a moment. Part of him screamed to not trust the man. Part of him said that he had no choice. Another part, strangely the largest part, was telling him to remain calm, everything would work out. It wasn't afraid of the man. It was almost as if it was preparing for a guardian angel to rescue Arthur and his men. It was this part that gave Arthur the strength to make a decision.

"Alright. I will come with you." Arthur moved to get off of his horse. Leon grabbed his arm.

"You can't. You don't know what this man wants. You need to get back to the palace. We'll cover you." Leon said. Typical Leon. Sacrificing himself for the crown. Arthur turned to Leon.

"I am at the front. They have us surrounded. We are almost an hour's ride from the palace. Even if I manage to somehow get past all of you, I'd never make it back," Arthur said.

"He's right, Sir Leon," the leader chuckled. Leon's head snapped back towards the man. Arthur wanted to scold him for taking the eyes off the enemy, but figured there was a time and a place.

"How do you know my name?" Leon asked. The man just shook his head and laughed again. This laugh was full body and mocking.

"The knight who was so desperate to save the one's he love the most that he lost almost everything." Arthur turned to Leon. The knight's knuckles had turned white from gripping the reins with such fear. Only a few people knew about that. And Arthur was sure this random man in the middle of the forest wasn't one of them.

"Stop it," Arthur snarled. He had to protect everyone. If this man knew about Leon's past, what did he know about the others? Arthur didn't want all of his men to experience the same sort of emotions that was currently leaving Leon unable to fight or think straight.

"I know all about you. Everyone of you. Sir Elyan, the one who ran from his responsibilities. The one who makes excuses for his past behaviors. Tell me, how is your father doing?"

"I said stop it."

"Oh and dear Percival, have you told your friends what you used to do? How many you've killed? Why your family died?" Percival's face drained so fast, Arthur was afraid the man would faint. The further this went, the less his knights would be able to function. They were entering dangerous territory now. Arthur just hoped his men would be able to put their past lives aside for the sake of their own survival.

"Why are you taunting us like this?" Arthur asked, trying to get the conversation off of his men.

"Gwaine's running too. Trying everything in his power to distance himself from his own blood. You know, Gwaine, you remind me so much of your father. How's that temper of yours?" the man said. Arthur could practically hear the sneer in his voice.

"Why you-" Gwaine attempted to lunge off his horse only to be held back by Percival and Elyan.

"I thought so," the man chuckled. "And finally little, lost, Lancelot. Searching and searching for the man who took it all away, knowing you'll never find him. You weren't strong enough then and you aren't strong enough now."

"You need to stop. Now!" Arthur shouted.

"Oh, Arthur, I know about all your men. I know their strengths, their weaknesses. I know the lowest and highest points in their lives. I know it all. Now, dismount and come with me, all of you," the man said. Arthur and the others jumped off the horses and began to follow the man.

"Leave the horses. You won't be needing them." Arthur turned and saw Leon was as white as a sheet. He put a comforting hand on his knight's shoulder before following the man. All of his men had been shaken by the events that had just taken place. These weren't little secrets that this man knew, these were huge secrets dealing with the pasts of each knight. Arthur didn't know what was being planned, but he sure as hell knew it was going to be very painful for him and his men.

"Sorry about that. I just wanted to make it a bit easier to handle you all," the man said with his syrupy sweet voice. Arthur doubted he was very sorry over the events that had happened.

The group stopped at a clearing where about ten other men were standing. All swords were out and ready to kill anyone who wasn't going to cooperate with the leader. Arthur attempted to look strong as he crossed into the clearing. Leon and Elyan had regained some of their composure. Percival still looked ready to faint, as did Lancelot. The reaction that surprised Arthur the most was Gwaine's. The knight looked very frightened. He never talked about his father, but judging from the man's reaction, being compared to him wasn't a compliment. If the knights didn't stand a chance to get out of this back on the trail, they sure as hell didn't now. Each was visibly shaken by the ordeal. The only purpose was to show that their captor held power over them. That thought made Arthur sick. These were his men. They didn't need the worst pieces of their soul to be dragged up by some stranger. And furthermore, why did the stranger know these things? Arthur bristled when he realized it was probably some sort of magic. If this man had magic, then he probably knew something about the creature they were hunting.

"Were you the one to call upon the creature that has destroyed several villages?" Arthur asked. The man looked up from his discussion with one of his subordinates.

"No, dear prince. That was just a wyvern that got a bit wild. It was just an added bonus that you came. I was planning on storming the castle," the man laughed. Arthur nodded and turned to his men. Gwaine was trying to calm down his breathing. Percival had yet to regain his color. Lancelot looked slightly calmer, though still a tad pale. Elyan was probably the one that was the most put together out of the entire group. He came up behind Arthur.

"We need a plan," he whispered.

"We can't do anything with the others still panicking because some man knew about their past," Arthur snapped.

"You don't understand. He knows things about me that I won't even admit to myself. You didn't feel it. You just heard it. I never wanted that part of my soul to come to light. And some man who I don't know dragged it up out of me and forced it into the open. Give them a little credit for not fainting on the spot. Lord knows that's what I felt like doing," Elyan hissed. Arthur massaged his brow and prepared to discuss the release of his men. Before he could speak, the man rounded on Lancelet and sent a powerful punch to his jaw. Lancelot cried out in pain and fell to the ground.

"Some of these are liabilities. Choose which ones you like the least and I'll kill them," the man smiled.

"I am not choosing which of my men to die!" Arthur shouted. The previous questions about magic and the wyvern that had been attacking the villages was now gone from Arthur's head. The man tutted.

"If you don't choose at least two, then I'll be forced to kill them all," he warned. Arthur looked around helplessly. He couldn't live with himself if he chose two to die and three to live. It wasn't fair.

"You have thirty seconds, my prince. Then I'll kill blond one," he said. Arthur whipped around just in time to see a man slam the but of a sword into Leon's head. Gwaine tried to rush forward but Percival held him back. Leon wasn't unconscious yet, but he didn't seem to be doing very well. He crashed onto his knees, the sword positioned onto the back of his neck, ready to sink in when the signal was given.

"Please, you don't have to do this. Just let them go," Arthur begged. He knew there was no way it was going to work, but he had to try. Perhaps seeing him beg would give the leader more pleasure and he would let the men go simply because Arthur lowered himself to the point of begging. It didn't work. Instead the man just sat there and widened his smile.

"You're time is up," the man said.

"NO!" Arthur shouted. He saw the sword go to cut Leon's head off. Everything seemed to slow as the sword began to arc back towards the knight. Leon had his eyes closed, accepting of the situation. Arthur couldn't look away. He couldn't move. All he could do was watch his friend get murdered right before his eyes. But the cut never came. Instead, another cry of distress was heard and a brown blob skidded right into the executioner. The executioner yelped as he was thrown to the ground. The sword landed away from Leon's neck, much to Arthur's relief.

"Whoa!" the brown blobbed exclaimed at it tumbled to a stop near the leader. The execution propped himself up on his elbows and Leon had opened his eyes. Everyone was staring at the thing that had just fallen into the campsite. The brown blob rolled around before getting to its feet. That's when Arthur realized that it was a jacket that had been caught on the person's head. At least Arthur hoped it was a person. This would be a very bad day to deal with a pixie on top of everything else. The person struggled for a few minutes with the jacket before managing to pull it down. Arthur gasped as he realized that it was just a child standing there. He had long, tangled hair that was the color of a raven's wing and bright blue eyes. His skin looked to be burned from being out in the sun for too long. His clothing hung off his frame. And personally, Arthur thought the boy was too small and skinny for his own good. He didn't look to be more than six or seven years old. The boy took a second to observe his surroundings. He seemed very confused as to what he had stumbled on. Arthur just wanted to scream and tell the boy to run. His voice seemed to stop working. Finally, the child spoke.

"Um, hello. I'm Merlin. What are you doing in my forest?"

**First chapter is done. I hope to see you all for the next chapter. I will try to update everyone to two weeks, so you shouldn't have to wait long. Have a great weekend.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. I want to warn everyone that there may be some cursing somewhere, but nothing too bad. Other than that, it shouldn't be very graphic with violence or anything. If you have any complaints or think the rating needs to change please let me know so that I can fix the mistake. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Have a great week.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin. **

_"Um, hello. I'm Merlin. What are you doing in my forest?"_

Everyone stood there, gaping at the young boy. Arthur didn't know how to react, and by the looks of it, neither did any of the knights or mercenaries. This was clearly unplanned in Drake's great scheme of kidnapping the crown prince of Camelot. The boy stared back at the group. He spent a few seconds apparently determining if the group of unknown men was a threat. The kid seemed to have decided the group of scary mercenaries with large pointy swords was not a threat as he gave a bright smile and began to collect some items on the forest floor. He must have dropped the plants during his tumble. While he flitted around carefully, collecting the plants, Arthur noticed a frayed blue neckerchief tied around his neck. There was also a small dragon pendant hanging onto a frayed rope, poking out from underneath the filthy blue cloth. He wore tattered boots on his feet. Arthur wouldn't be surprised if there were holes in the soles. The child, Merlin, also had on some very baggy brown trousers and an enormous brown jacket. The jacket swamped the young boy so much so that the sleeves had been rolled up several times just so the boy could use his hands. The bottom of the jacket stopped just below the kid's knee, making him seem like a boy wearing his father's clothes.

The kid seemed absolutely undeterred at what was going on around him. He was just humming a little tune, looking completely content with his surroundings. Someone really needed to teach this kid some self-preservation. Did the boy really not understand that he should run and hide? Even some of the most bone-headed squires still had the common sense to leave a scene such as this. Arthur saw Percival step forward and kneel down so he was on the boy's level. Arthur's gaze flickered over to the mercenaries to ensure they weren't about to cut off the large knight's head like they tried to do with Leon's. Luckily, they still seemed to be mesmerized by a child who didn't show an ounce of fear.

"Sweetheart, where are your parents at?" Percival asked in a very gentle voice. Despite his size, Arthur knew Percival was ridiculously good with children. He would often be seen in the lower town giving the children piggyback rides, helping little girls carry flowers, and showing little boys how to build things. Arthur had always meant to ask if Percival ever had a family, but it was never brought up in conversation and after Drake's little speech earlier, Arthur didn't want to know the pain his friend had endured in the past. The boy stood up and frowned.

"I don't have any. Freya said that was impossible, but I don't remember them. You still haven't answered my question," he explained. Percival looked taken aback and leaned back on his heals. Instead of answering the question, Merlin just created more that Arthur and everyone else wanted to know. The leader, who up until this point Arthur had forgotten about, decided it was time for him to speak.

"Listen, _sweetheart_," he sneered, "I don't want to kill a kid. So why don't you run along?" Arthur was grateful the man seemed uninterested in harming the boy. Percival had moved so that he was blocking Merlin from Drake's line of sight. The kid still didn't seem to have any fear towards the man.

"I don't like it when you call me that. Only he can call me that. He's nice," Merlin stated. He didn't look at the leader. He instead squatted down and began to examine a patch of flowers near the tree Leon was still kneeling by. The leader snapped his mouth shut and began to brainstorm how to best deal with the child. Arthur's heart was beating at a rapid pace. He now believed the kid had a death wish. Why else would you act like this around a man who was clearly dangerous?

"Merlin," Gwaine said, deciding to try his luck with the interrogation. He stepped forward carefully. "How old are you?"

"Does that matter?" the leader snapped. "I just want him gone!" A wolf howled in the distance. Merlin cocked his head to the side and looked at the leader.

"Rowena said you aren't nice. You need to leave," he said. Drake growled but made no move towards the boy. Arthur had to resist the urge to snatch Merlin up in his arms and run back to Camelot. Honestly, how dense could this child be? Furthermore, who the hell was Rowena? Now _that_ was a question Arthur wanted to know the answer to.

"Merlin, you haven't answered my question. I'll answer yours if you answer mine," Gwaine tried again. Merlin pondered for a moment before nodding. He turned to face Gwaine and sat down. His legs were crossed and he was leaning forward slightly. His eyes were glued to Gwaine while the knight began telling the story.

"We were tracking down a wyvern that had been destroying some villages when these men took us captive," Gwaine explained. Merlin nodded his understanding.

"I took Jeff back into the mountains near Mercia. He was lonely. That's why he was destroying stuff," Merlin responded. Gwaine furrowed his brow, trying to see the connection. Leon stood up and made his way back towards the group.

"Jeff is the wyvern? How did you get it to obey you?" Leon asked.

"That's what you want to know?" Elyan cried. "I want to know why he named the damn thing?" Merlin stuffed the yarrow back into the pockets of a jacket that looked to be six sizes too big for him before answering.

"They listen to me. I don't know why. It's like they have to. And what's wrong with the name Jeff?" Merlin asked, turning to Elyan and staring questioningly at the knight. Elyan bit his lip and said nothing. Drake had had enough by this point.

"Listen, you brat, leave and I won't hack your head off," he threatened. Drake had stomped up to the kid and was now towering over him. Arthur noticed Merlin's eyes get even larger than they already were. The boy hunched in on himself while still staring pleadingly at the man who looked ready to step on him.

"Shut up, Drake. I need answers," Gwaine snapped. Merlin whimpered and darted back towards the tree at Gwaine's outburst. Arthur now knew the breaking point for the child's bravery. Granted, Merlin was still braver than Arthur would have originally given him credit for. Or possibly dumber than Arthur originally thought. Whatever the case Arthur now knew the kid did have some survival instincts.

"Great, now you scared him," Lancelot scolded. He slowly made his way towards the boy. Merlin had curled into a ball and was now whimpering and possible crying. The way his back was shaking indicated that he was at least trying to hold in some tears.

"For God's sake, it is a child! Leave it and let's get back to business," the leader groaned. Arthur knew that his knights were not going to let this matter go unsettled. Threatened or not, they were still knights of Camelot and would protect the innocent at all costs.

"We will do no such thing until this boy is safe," Leon replied. He threw a glare at the leader that made the man withdraw just a tad. Lancelot knelt down in front of the tree and went to touch the boy. He drew back his hand, not knowing how Merlin would react. Lancelot did not want to make this situation worse.

"Merlin, love, Gwaine didn't mean to scare you. He's not mad at you," Lancelot said gently. Merlin sniffed and raised his head to look at Lancelot.

"I didn't do anything," he whimpered. Lancelot figured it was safe to try and touch him and reached out, gently running his fingers through the boy's tangled hair. Given the state he was in, Lancelot had a feeling this boy lived out here. There were tear tracks that had washed away some of the dirt. Up close it was also easier to see how skeletal Merlin appeared. Lancelot smiled at the child and continued to comb his fingers through the rat's nest of hair.

"I promise you, you didn't do anything," Lancelot affirmed. "Can you tell us how old you are?" Lancelot asked in the softest voice he could manage. _Gwen would really be better at this._ Lancelot thought before turning his attention back to Merlin.

"Eleven," Merlin answered. Gwaine snorted in the background. Arthur agreed with Gwaine. If that boy was eleven, then Gwaine was a chaste virgin. Merlin gave a small pout before turning to Lancelot.

"It's true," he defended. Lancelot quirked an eyebrow. "Fine, ten." Merlin edited his answer. Lancelot still didn't buy it. He didn't want to scold the child; for fear that Merlin would retreat back into his shell. "Alright, eight." Merlin crossed his arms and looked away from Lancelot. Percival had crept forward during Lancelot's questioning and was now sitting next to the boy.

"Aren't eight year olds supposed to be a lot bigger?" Elyan whispered to Leon and Arthur. Lancelot and Percival were trying to get the boy to talk some more.

"This boy looks like he hasn't gotten a decent meal in his life," Leon responded. Arthur saw Merlin smile again. It wasn't as big or bright as before, but it was still better than the sobbing ball of fear Merlin had adopted. Drake let out a feral growl before lunging forward and throwing Lancelot and Percival back away from Merlin. Arthur cursed himself for forgetting about the situation at hand. Gwaine made to dash towards the boy but Elyan held him back.

"We don't have weapons and he's a sorcerer," Elyan reminded Gwaine. Gwaine still struggled against Elyan's hold. Arthur didn't know if he should try and help the child or not. Elyan had a point, but Drake could also kill Merlin without a second thought.

"You are going to leave whether you like it or not. This is not your forest and I will kill these men no matter what you say!" the leader shouted, gripping Merlin's shoulders and shaking the boy forcefully.

"Stop, you'll hurt him!" Leon cried. He lunged forward to help the boy. Arthur couldn't catch the man's arm as he flew towards the pair. Drake snarled and threw a knife at the knight. Arthur wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light but he could have sworn Merlin's eyes had turned gold. The knife managed to catch Leon's cheek and gave him a small scratch before imbedding itself in a tree. Leon hissed and put his hand up to the split skin. He drew the hand away to reveal blood on his palm. Merlin, meanwhile, kicked the man and managed to escape from his grasp. Drake gasped with pain and doubled over. He was clutching his stomach and his eyes were screwed shut.

"I'm not going to leave and you aren't going to kill anyone!" Merlin cried. He was shaking badly, but Arthur was impressed he was standing his ground. All it took for the boy to go hide was someone snapping in frustration. It must have been the threat to someone else's life that kept the kid from falling apart again. Merlin stood up a little straighter and squared his shoulders.

"Clearly, you need to learn to respect your elders," Drake snarled before lunging towards the child. Merlin managed to duck under the man's hands and skid out of his grasp. Arthur saw the mercenaries standing there, confused as to how to handle the situation. Arthur saw his opportunity.

"Start taking out the men," he ordered. While he wanted to fight after the child was a safe distance away, the distraction could be used to their advantage. There was also no telling what Drake might do to the boy should he catch him. With this order, the knights nodded and began attacking the rest of their captors. Gwaine had appointed himself to protecting the child. The others began punching their way through the horde of mercenaries. Arthur turned to see Gwaine had sent Drake sprawling in the dirt and now had a tight hold on Merlin's arm. The boy was pulled tightly against his side and was partially hiding his face against Gwaine's thigh. Arthur was about to order his men not to kill the mercenaries unless absolutely necessary when he noticed they were already practicing that. There was no need to scar the child more than he already was. Arthur dispatched another enemy with a well-placed blow when he heard a roar of animalistic fury. Every stopped and turned to see Drake standing up. The power and anger seemed to radiate off the man. While there was no physical change, there was something more animalistic in his features. Like a rabid dog, Drake was snarling and snapping. His eyes were narrowed and his posture seemed to become more threatening. Merlin whimpered and pulled himself tighter into Gwaine's side. Arthur began to search for something to throw at the man. Something to get his attention off of Merlin and Gwaine.

"You should have run while you still had the chance, boy," Drake snarled. "And now I get to teach you what happens when you don't obey me. The drunk will be the first to go!" he cried. Drake lunged towards Gwaine. Gwaine picked up a discarded sword and held it out. He was ready to pierce the mercenary's heart. Gwaine pushed Merlin behind him and squared his shoulders so that the blade would face him straight on.

"NO!" Merlin's tiny voice rang out. Arthur threw a hand up to cover his eyes from the blinding light that seemed to burst from the child. He was distantly aware that the mercenaries were being thrown back from where they stood. Yet, Arthur himself didn't feel like the light was affecting him at all. His stance was still steady on the forest floor. He felt no fear from the power the poured from the child. He actually felt rather safe and content. All he had to worry about was the brightness of the light. And Arthur had a feeling even that wouldn't do a lot of damage. Finally, the light died down to reveal Merlin curled into another ball. His arms were wrapped around his knees and he was rocking back and forth, tears streaming down his dirty face. Elyan and Lancelot immediately went to check on the men.

"They're still alive," Elyan called out. Arthur wasn't paying attention to him. He was paying attention to small boy who was still whimpering on the forest floor. Never had Arthur thought such power could come from something so tiny. The kid certainly didn't seem to have a personality that screamed dangerous sorcerer. And yet, it wasn't any of his men who had thrown several mercenaries off the ground with only a cry of distress. It was an eight year old who looked more like a six year old. A child who looked so delicate and fragile. A child who became afraid the moment someone showed anger towards him. But this was also the same child who had stood up to a man several times his size to protect someone he didn't know. Arthur felt a headache come on with all the thinking he was attempting to do. Nothing was making sense.

Percival and Leon were trying desperately to calm the small child, with very little progress. Percival had taken to rubbing Merlin's back while Leon was talking softly, probably about nothing. Gwaine was just standing in the same spot from before the burst of light. He was staring straight ahead, trying to figure out what had happened. Arthur decided Leon and Percival could handle the boy and went to check on the leader. Someone had hired this man to take Arthur alive. Hopefully Drake would be able to tell Arthur who. Drake was knocked unconscious, just like the rest of his men. He would need to be brought back to Camelot and interrogated.

Gwaine shook himself out of his own thoughts. One minute he was about to die and the next there had been a bright light. Gwaine assumed that was the light at the end of the tunnel, though he always assumed he'd be going to hell. He then realized that it was the child who had saved him. His scream of terror when Gwaine was about to be killed was what called upon such power. Surely such a child could not be human. Gwaine turned to see Percival and Leon trying desperately to calm the child down. Human or not, the kid was still very afraid. Gwaine wondered if it was because of the knights that were near him. Perhaps he felt threatened. The sky had began to darken and it looked as though it might rain. Gwaine looked to see the child's eyes were still glowing gold as he continued to do magic. It shouldn't be possible for one so young to have such power, but Merlin was definitely there. Gwaine made his way over to Merlin and knelt down in front of him.

"Hey, kiddo, everything's alright. You don't have to be afraid," Gwaine said. He reached up and rested his hand on Merlin's shaking shoulder. Merlin looked towards Gwaine.

"Don't tell him where I'm at," he sobbed. "Can't know. He can't know," he began repeating. Gwaine looked at Leon who just shrugged.

"Probably his former master," Percival suggested. Gwaine pulled the boy in so that he was tucked against his side and looked at the large knight.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"He's acting much like a slave. And I saw the brand on the underside of his wrist," he explained. Leon pried Merlin's hand away from his knee and flipped it over. He moved the rough leather from the coat away from Merlin's wrist and sucked in a breath. Sure enough there was a patch of burned skin in a clear pattern. It looked like a triangle within a circle. But the brand was distorted, probably due to the child's continuous growth. Gwaine fought the urge to growl, knowing it would probably only scare Merlin more. He hated the slave trade. He absolutely despised the idea that humans could be sold and treated like animals. The thought made his stomach churn. What made it worse was the fact that he was currently holding a shaking and sobbing child in his arms who couldn't be more than eight. A boy who was probably living in the forest in order to escape detection from his former master. Gwaine rubbed Merlin's arm soothingly before leaning down.

"He's not coming after you. We won't let him get you," he promised. Hopefully the man in question wasn't near the clearing and wouldn't know where the boy was located. Merlin sniffed before wiping his nose on his sleeve and looking up towards Gwaine.

"Promise?"

"Promise," Gwaine said, giving the boy on last pat on the shoulder before standing up. Merlin stood up as well and looked around.

"They're still alive?" he asked.

"Yes, Merlin. They are all still alive," Leon assured the boy. Merlin stared at Leon for a second before gasping.

"You're hurt!" he cried out. Arthur whipped around to see what damage his head knight had sustained. All he could see was the small cut on his cheek. Leon raised a hand to his cheek and wiped the blood away.

"It's nothing. It probably won't even scar," Leon replied. Gwaine felt himself be pulled down as Merlin attempted to climb on his back. Gwaine shifted and helped pull the kid up before he hurt himself. Merlin leaned over Gwaine's shoulder to study Leon before breaking out in another toothy grin.

"I can fix it!" he cried, leaping off of Gwaine and grabbing Leon's hand. Merlin stumbled a bit but managed to get ahold of his footing before setting off into the forest.

"That's really alright," Leon attempted to protest, only to have Merlin pull harder on his hand.

"No, I found a spell. I can fix it. And then you won't have to wait," Merlin exclaimed. Leon allowed himself to be led through the forest by the young boy, the other knights following with amused expressions on their faces.

"What about Drake?" Leon asked.

"He's secure. We'll come back for him later," Arthur informed Leon. Arthur may have been a bit harsh when he tied the ropes, but Drake didn't really need to use his hands for anything. So losing them wouldn't be a major problem.

"Have you ever done this spell before?" Percival asked. Merlin shook his head.

"I want to try it though. The book says you start with small stuff and work your way up," he explained.

"You can read?" Gwaine gasped. It was unheard of for slaves to read unless they were captured noblemen. He didn't even learn to read until he was nine. Merlin nodded enthusiastically and continued to pull on Leon's hand.

"Are you sure you won't make it worse?" Leon asked in a shaky voice. As much as he appreciated the child saving their lives, he wasn't about to entrust the boy to do something he may mess up. Leon didn't want to walk back to Camelot with an extra head, or bad breath, or even worse, baldness. Merlin didn't answer. He just continued to pull Leon through the forest, tripping over every root and rock. Leon was amazed the child didn't alert the mercenaries of his position before falling into the campsite. He was equally amazed that no one seemed to have tracked the boy's location yet, given that he was doing absolutely nothing to hide where the group was going.

"Here we are!" Merlin exclaimed, stopping in front of a large cave. Everyone skidded to a halt and stared at the massive rock formation.

"This is where you live?" Arthur asked. He couldn't help but wonder how such a bright and vibrant child had been reduced to living in a cave with clothing he had probably found discarded on the side of the road. There was something strange about Merlin. It could have been the magic he possessed, but Arthur felt it run deeper. It was almost as if he and Merlin were meant to find each other. As if destiny intervened and sent Merlin stumbling towards the mercenaries knowing it would be Arthur who would come back with him to the cave. Arthur didn't want to believe that the fates had planned his life out from the very beginning, but he knew he couldn't just leave Merlin in the middle of the forest. One way or another, Merlin was coming back to Camelot with Arthur and the knights.

**I hope you all enjoyed that chapter. I should be able to post next week sometime. Have a great rest of the day. **


	3. Chapter 3

**I am really excited about the response this story has gotten. I hope that I can keep all my readers interested and coming back for more chapters. Have a wonderful week.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin. **

"Come on! Come on!" Merlin exclaimed. The little child grabbed Leon's hand again and tugged him into the mouth of the cave. Arthur and the other knights followed. Inside was slightly cooler and more damp than the outside air. The cave was also dark, the only light coming from the entrance where the sun peaked through the forest canopy. While the cave was certainly large enough for someone to live in, there was no evidence that this was the home of anything other than the odd creature seeking shelter from the elements. Arthur looked around and saw no burn marks from a fire, no blankets for keeping warm, and no food to eat. Also, there was no evidence of books. Merlin said he had found the spell in a book, so there should be at least one here. Arthur suspected that a powerful sorcerer might be able to cast spells to hide his existence. However, Merlin didn't seem to have a very good handle on his magic. It was finicky and tied to his emotions. The boy seemed smart and willing to do almost anything to survive. Surely he wouldn't risk being discovered in something as open as this cave. Then again, Merlin did seem to be very trusting towards the knights. They did try to protect him from Drake, but the child didn't seem bothered by them before that.

Arthur wanted to groan and hit his head against the wall. This child was so contradictory. Afraid of everything and nothing. Trusting everyone and no one. Never wanting to fight but always wanting to protect. It was just the sort of innocence and stupidity one would expect from a child. Arthur wanted to keep that innocence in Merlin for as long as possible. It was clear that the boy had been through some sort of trauma. The way he cowered and begged for mercy was evidence enough, but Merlin would never live a normal life if he stayed out here in the woods.

Arthur was drawn out of his thoughts when Merlin let go of Leon's hand and skipped over to the far wall of the cave. The child literally skipped. He was just sobbing on Gwaine's shoulder ten minutes ago, begging not to be sent back to his former master. And now he was back to being carefree and naïve. The boy switched emotions faster than Morgana. Arthur was going to get whiplash if he stayed around the child for much longer. Merlin, meanwhile, started humming and knocking against the wall softly.

"Merlin, sweetheart," Percival called out, "what are you doing?"

"Maybe he's crazy?" Elyan suggested. Percival cuffed the back of Elyan's head and glared at him. Merlin didn't answer either of the men. Instead, he gasped with delight and smiled. His eyes flashed gold and the large boulder rolled away smoothly. In the dark cave the gold was more pronounced than in the brightness of the forest. Little gold rings circled around the pupils, revealing the true power that such a small vessel held. What was perhaps more impressive was the small room that was hidden behind the boulder. Merlin giggled and skipped through the small opening.

"That is brilliant," Gwaine whispered. He stepped through the entrance, ducking so as not to his head on the low-lying rocks. The other knights followed in wordlessly. But the tiny warlock wasn't done with his display yet. He whispered some more words; the familiar circle of gold reappearing for a second before fading. This time, it was not a great feat of strength that was completed. Instead, tiny balls of light began floating at different heights around the room. They gave off a comforting orange glow that helped to light up the cave. Arthur reached for one that was floating at eye level and ran his fingers through it. It felt warm and safe, like thick blankets during a summer storm. Arthur let out a small laugh and pulled his hand out of the light. The little lights were so delicate and beautiful, a complete contrast to the raw power that was forced out of the child today. These lights were made out of comfort and happiness. Arthur could feel it in the hum of the magic. He wondered if the others could feel the warmth as well.

There were hundreds of lights floating around the cave. Some were large and some were small. They were all at different heights to provide the most amount of light available. Each light was placed so that there were very few shadows, save for some corners. The room looked like the sun was shining directly into it.

Arthur took this chance to also look around. He wondered how well off Merlin actually was. The objects in the cave were modest to say the least. There were no tapestries or portraits that hung on the walls. But Arthur could see smooth spots that appeared to have been decorated with charcoal. Though they were a child's drawings, he could tell that most were of animals. There appeared to be deer, wolves, cows, and possibly a dragon or wyvern. Arthur remembered Jeff and wondered if Merlin had ever met any other wyverns. There was also a section of the wall that was just a bunch of handprints. There was no definite pattern. It looked as though Merlin just got bored, smashed some berries, and then spent the next hour slapping his hands against the wall to see what would happen. That seemed like a very Merlin thing to do.

Arthur drew his eyes away from the wall and continued looking at the other objects in the cave. A small fire ring had been set up towards the middle of the cave. There were some soot smudges around the ring, though it did look like Merlin cleaned every so often. Next to the fire lay two tattered blankets. Arthur assumed one was to keep a layer between Merlin and the ground and the other was to keep him covered. Though the boy had magic, it was worrisome to see such a small child with such thin blankets. Arthur didn't think the tattered pieces of cloth would help at all with holding heat in. He decided that was the first thing he was going to give Merlin was a nice, thick blanket. One that the boy could curl up under and fall asleep knowing that its warm weight would help to keep him safe during the long night. Aside from the blankets, there was a wooden bowl, plate, and cup along one wall. The dishes appeared to be drying from a wash. They similarly appeared to be hand carved. Arthur wondered if Merlin used his magic for the task or if he actually carved them with a knife. There was a small knife resting with the other dishes so it was possible Merlin used it to carve.

Arthur stepped forward and felt something tickling the top of his head. He looked up and smiled to see several different herbs, fruits, and meats suspended above his head. They were all floating innocently among the balls of light. Occasionally, two would knock together but otherwise continued moving slowly along a path. Arthur wondered if the plants were continuously floating or only did it when Merlin was in the cave. He was sure there was probably a spell to keep the plants constantly suspended. What this cave had the most of was books. Several tattered tomes littered the floor. Some were in English, but some were in languages Arthur could only guess. Each book was well read. They showed signs of love and joy as a child turned the pages enthusiastically, seeking the new worlds of knowledge that each had hidden within its pages. The crash of wood brought Arthur back to the cave. Merlin had dropped an armful of wood into his meager fire ring.

"_Forbearnan_," Merlin said. His eyes lit up with joy as the wood caught fire and began to crackle merrily. He turned to Arthur and beamed. He probably wasn't used to showing off his magic to people. He was just like any other child, seeking praise and attention for the things he was good at. Arthur offered him a comforting smile in return, hoping that it was enough for now. Merlin continued grinning and walked towards a particularly large pile of books underneath a picture of something that appeared to have the body of a lion, wings of an eagle, and face of a bear. It was hard to tell if such a creature was from the boy's imagination or if it actually existed.

The young boy seemed to have a pretty comfortable place of dwelling for his hide out. But it still was no place for a child to live, not alone at least. Merlin should be with a family that loved him and cared about him. Even the poorest children of Camelot usually had friends or families that they could turn to in times of need. Granted, Arthur didn't have the most loving father in the world, but even Uther managed to show Morgana and him just how much he cared at times. Merlin literally had no one. As far as Arthur could tell, the boy had something named Rowena and a wyvern named Jeff. Shouldn't a child have friends to share his secrets with, to get into trouble with? It wouldn't be too incredible to believe that Merlin had never been told that he was loved, that he was cared about by someone. Looking at the child now, one would never suspect the dark past he had been forced to endure, that he was still enduring. Merlin needed someone to keep him safe from the nightmares and his past. Arthur had seen just how thin Merlin's emotional barriers were. In the end, Merlin would be consumed by fear and turn into those sorcerers Arthur fought almost weekly. He couldn't let such goodness fall through the cracks. He couldn't let down Merlin.

"I know it's here somewhere," Merlin muttered under his breath. He was carelessly tossing books behind him, searching for the spell that would heal Leon's cut. Lancelot stepped closer to Arthur and Gwaine.

"He can't stay here," Lancelot whispered. Arthur nodded. His internal monologue had convinced the prince that Merlin too precious for this world to lose. He needed to be protected.

"It's too dangerous. He needs to be somewhere safe," Arthur replied in a hushed tone. Merlin didn't appear to be paying attention to the small group, but Arthur didn't want to risk a backlash. He seemed like the kind of person that didn't want to be told he couldn't take care of himself. Elyan and Percival joined the quiet conversation.

"Are we just going to ignore that a powerful warlock is living within the borders of Camelot?" Elyan hissed. There was that too. Arthur shuddered to think of who would get Merlin first: his father's supporters or the wild and unpredictable nature of the forest.

"We are not just ignoring it," Gwaine said. "But we need to figure out some way to protect him. The boy looks like he's starving. I don't think he can last another winter."  
"It might be easier to just kill him now, not force him to live in a world with such prejudice," Elyan said.

"If you lay a hand on that boy, so help me God-" Gwaine threatened. Percival put a hand on the knight's shoulder to placate him.

"I think we should do everything in our power to ensure the child is safe," Percival said.

"Thank you," Gwaine muttered. He glared at Elyan, causing the other knight to shrink away.

"But how are we going to bring this up?" Percival asked. "Merlin is a smart boy. He will have looked at all possibilities for ensuring his survival." Arthur and the other knights stared at Percival. The man hardly ever said two words at once, and now he was giving in-depth looks into the psyche of a child. Arthur was completely unaware that Percival was so smart and pensive. Then again, if all you do is listen it's not hard to believe you would get good at understanding the workings of human emotions.

"He's young, and an escaped slave by the looks of it. The idea may have never crossed his mind," Lancelot shrugged.

"Or it may have but was deemed to dangerous for the other party that would be involved. Remember, Merlin looks out for others more than himself," Elyan supplied.

"Here it is!" Merlin cried out in triumph. "I found this journal of a guy named Gwillem of Cambria. He sounds kind of crazy, but the spells I have used so far really work!" Merlin explained. He flipped the book open to the appropriate page and began to read out what he needed. With each ingredient, the corresponding plant fell from the ceiling and into Merlin's bowl. Leon knelt down next to Merlin and smiled. A bundle of sage flew into the back of his head, tangling in his curly hair.

"Merlin, where did you learn how to read?" Leon asked. Merlin bit his lip and looked away from Leon.

"One of the maids taught me. She wasn't supposed to. She's gone now," Merlin sniffed. Leon reached up and stroked Merlin's hair.

"I am so sorry. I'm sure she's proud that you are reading to help someone," Leon said. Merlin looked up and nodded.

"Thank you. She was really nice," Merlin whispered. He grabbed the herbs that had been neatly placed into a bowl and began to grind them into a green paste. Leon continued to pet Merlin's tangled hair, providing the boy with a sense of security and comfort. Merlin leaned into the touch, not fully aware that he was doing so. His tongue stuck out of his mouth, his eyebrows were drown together in concentration. When the paste was done, Merlin reread the spell several times before looking back to Leon. His eyes were slightly red and puffy, but they still held a spark of hope that never seemed to abandon the child. Leon knew in that moment that he never wanted to let Merlin go. These were dangerous thoughts as the child was magic and Leon was a knight of Uther. But even that didn't stop Leon from wanting to keep Merlin safe and by his side.

"Ready?" Leon nodded and mentally prepared himself. While he didn't think Merlin would purposefully hurt him, there was a slight chance the spell would go wrong and possibly injure Leon even further, or rid him of his beard. Leon did not look good without a beard. Merlin smeared the green paste onto Leon's cheek before placing his hand on it and began to chant. "_Ahlúttre þá séocnes. Þurhhæle bræd_." His eyes flashed gold and he sat back. He looked a bit more fatigued than before. Doing so much magic at once was probably draining the young boy of his strength. Merlin wiped the goop from Leon's cheek and cheered.

"It worked!" he exclaimed. He threw his arms in the air and flopped back.

"Good job." Leon patted the boy's arm before joining the others.

"He needs to be taken somewhere safe," Leon hissed upon reaching his friends.

"That's what we were discussing. He can't stay out here. Someone could find him and use him," Lancelot agreed.

"He may be powerful, but he's still a child. He still scares easily and there's no telling what could happen if someone like Cenred got their hands on him," Percival said. The others nodded in agreement. It was decided, Merlin wasn't going to stay in this cave any longer. He was going to find a proper home with a proper family. Arthur cleared his throat and got Merlin's attention. Merlin sat up and looked at Arthur with a tired smile.

"Merlin, what you did today was amazing," Arthur began.

"Thanks. I love helping people. I sometimes think that I could do really cool things. But I try not to do very big stuff. I don't want him to find me," Merlin rambled, his smile dropping with the last few sentences. Arthur went to kneel down next to him.

"You are very powerful. But, Merlin, you can't stay out here forever." Merlin's smile dropped from his face completely. He furrowed his brow and tried to comprehend what Arthur had just said.

"Why not?" he asked. Arthur looked to the others for reassurance. Percival gave him a weak smile before gesturing for Arthur to continue.

"Merlin, you are just a child. You need someone to take care of you." The change was instantaneous. Merlin ceased looking carefree and instead looked like a cornered animal. He immediately went on the defensive and began backing away from Arthur.

"No I don't. I can take care of myself," Merlin cried. The cave began to rumble and the child's eyes glowed gold. Arthur reminded himself that this was just a scared little boy and not a dangerous sorcerer. Merlin wouldn't hurt Arthur or his men, he hoped.

"I understand that you think-"

"No! I can take care of myself. I have for a year," Merlin snapped. He stood up and walked towards the other end of the cave, crossing his arms and glaring at Arthur and the others. Percival stepped forward.

"Merlin, you are eight. Don't you want a family to live with? Someone who can give you a pleasant childhood? Someone who loves you?" he asked. Merlin bit his bottom lip and Arthur could see tears starting to leak from his eyes. Merlin shook his head furiously.

"I don't need anyone. I am fine," his said. Arthur could hear the slight shake of the child's voice.

"You are doing excellently for yourself. But you need to think long term," Lancelot tried. Outside, the rain began to pour down from the sky.

"I can't. He'll find me," Merlin whimpered. Arthur then understood what the child's fears were. He didn't want his former master to track him down. The forest was the perfect place for hiding out long term. If you could survive long term, that is.

"Tell us who this man is and we'll help you," Leon promised.

"No. I don't need your help," Merlin cried. Outside, a clap of thunder shook the sky, causing the knights to jump at the sudden noise. The little balls of light began to dissipate, turning the cave into something cold and empty.

"Merlin, if you stay out here, you could get sick or seriously injured. Please, come back to Camelot with us and let us find you a home," Lancelot pleaded. Merlin's eyes went wide and he pressed himself against the wall.

"No. No. I'm not going back with you. You won't kill me. I'm not a monster," he sobbed. Arthur stepped forward. Merlin let out a shout and dropped to the floor. Arthur was trying to be as nonthreatening as possible, but he didn't think it was working.

"No, you're not a monster. You are a child and you need help. Merlin, we won't hurt you. We just want to help," Arthur pleaded. Merlin curled into a ball and continued to sob. His arms flew over his head and wrapped around it, trying to block out what was causing so much fear. The sight made Arthur's heart break.

"No. You want to use me. I don't want to be used. I thought you liked me," he cried. The storm continued to rage out of control outside the cave. The thunder began to crash even louder in the sky. Despite being inside, streaks of lightning still lit up the darkened cave in frightening succession. The rain came down even harder, shaking the cave. Thunder caused the ground to vibrate with its power. And in the center of it all, a scared child who wanted nothing more than to be safe from the monsters who haunted him.

"We don't want to use you!" Elyan shouted over the pounding rain. Merlin's only response was to huddle in on himself even more. Leon looked around wildly. All this shouting was only making the situation worse. Merlin wasn't in his right mind. He wouldn't listen to the knights so long as they continued to assault him with pleas and promises. The boy had been taken advantage of one too many times. Now all his fears were being manifested through a ferocious storm that would only further Merlin's fear of his power. It was time for Leon to take control.

"Everyone, calm down," he said in an even tone. He wasn't sure how much everyone heard over the rain, but it still had the same effect. The knights all turned to Leon and stared. The curly haired knight placed his hand on Gwaine's shoulder and pulled him towards the entrance of the cave. He then stepped towards Arthur and repeated the action.

"Leon-" Arthur protested. Leon put a finger to his lips and dragged Arthur through the door.

"We are overwhelming him. He doesn't feel safe, and he never will if we keep pestering him," Leon explained in the calmest voice he could manage. Outside the storm still raged. Leon took a deep breath and thought of how to best calm Merlin down. The child probably would not be fully able to listen for the next few hours, and Uther would probably be waiting for a report from Arthur on the success of his mission. Not to mention Drake needed to be taken back to Camelot and interrogated. As much as Leon didn't want to leave Merlin, especially like this, it was probably the best option. By respecting Merlin's wishes to leave, the knights might be able to forge a stronger bond to Merlin. The child might be more willing to listen to their suggestions. But, even if Merlin wanted them to leave, he was still a child. And children craved the affections of adults. Merlin thought that the knights were people he could trust. He probably still wanted them to stay and protect him. Leon had to show that the knights also wanted to stay and protect him. A simple act might be enough to keep Merlin from becoming too distant. Leon unbuckled his cloak and walked back towards Merlin. Arthur grabbed his forearm. Leon mere shrugged him off and continued towards the child.

"Go away. Get out!" Merlin shouted. "I want you to leave!" Leon knelt down and draped the cloak over Merlin's shaking shoulders. He ran his fingers through Merlin's hair a few times before speaking.

"Merlin, we're going to leave now. If you need anything, you know where Camelot is. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it," Leon said. Merlin didn't respond. He instead gripped the cloak and tugged it tighter around himself. Leon rubbed the boy's back before standing and walking out of the cave.

"We're just going to leave him?" Lancelot hissed.

"He won't survive another week with the state he's in," Percival said. Leon held up a hand to silence the group.

"The boy is scared. He's never had anyone of authority who has cared for his wellbeing. We will let him cool down for a few days and decide how to best hand the situation," Leon explained. Arthur understood what he was trying to get at. There was probably a better way to handle the intervention. Instead the knights had cornered the poor boy and harassed him until he felt as though there was nowhere to go. Arthur would have probably reacted in much the same way if he were a starving child living in a cave. Of course Merlin was scared. Arthur felt like kicking himself for being so stupid.

"What do you suggest we do?" Gwaine asked, trudging through the forest. It was still raining buckets and made it difficult to trek through the tangled forest. The men reached the mercenaries, still unconscious from Merlin's attack earlier. Percival slung Drake over his shoulder and started to carry him back towards Camelot.

"At this rate it's going to take us till nightfall to get back," Elyan groaned.

"Leon, what do you want to do about Merlin?" Lancelot asked. Leon chewed on his lip before responding.

"I think only one or two of us should go to Merlin the next time. We can tell him to come to us with any problems. We can also go once a week to check on him, bring him food, make sure he is healthy, things like that," Leon said. The rain had started to let up ever so slightly. While there was still the occasional clap of thunder, it was nothing compared to the violent storm that had raged just a few moments ago.

"There's a daily patrol that runs by the cave. It shouldn't be too difficult for us to swing by every week to check on the kid," Gwaine affirmed. Everyone nodded with this plan and continued to walk back.

"How long until we meet with him the first time?" Lancelot asked.

"We should wait until the rain stops. Merlin is controlling it so when he calms down, so should the weather," Percival said. Everyone nodded. Arthur hoped that they would still be able to save the tiny child who lay shivering in the cave.

**That is the end of this chapter. Don't be afraid to leave comments. I hope you have a wonderful week, and for those of you who are lucky, a wonderful summer vacation.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I hope everyone had a nice week. I'm trying to return to a more structured schedule for updating. I loved all the reviews I got for the last chapter and love hearing what people thought.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.**

It was already dark when the knights managed to trudge back through the gates and up to the castle. The steady downpour ensured that the trails would be covered in a slick layer of mud. When the knights weren't slipping and falling into mud puddles, they were sinking into the soft earth. It was also pitch black outside. Due to the clouds, no stars shown nor did the moon. There was nothing to light the way. All of these things combined made it incredibly difficult to navigate back to the castle.

Of course, the knights also had a captive to think about. Drake had woken up twice. But not for very long. Gwaine was still working through his frustrations about leaving Merlin and ended up using Drake's head to vent said frustrations. Though not before Drake managed to bruise Percival. After waking up, the man would kick and struggle against the strong hold of the large knight. He was vicious and unrelenting. The first time he woke up, Percival dropped him in surprise. The subsequent awakening was caught by a much more aware knight.

All in all, it was an awful night to be a knight of Camelot. The knights were muddy, tired, sore, and worried. Merlin wasn't in the most stable of states when they had left him in the cave, as evident by the unrelenting torrent of a child's tantrum that continued to make the knights walk through a living hell. Arthur half thought about giving up and just sleeping on the muddy floor of the forest. But Sir Leon reminded everyone that they had no shelter or covers to keep out the cold. There was still a chance that bandits were active, despite the night. And, the sooner they got to Camelot, the sooner they could better decide a course of action in regards to Merlin. Of course Leon made a lot of sense, and that just made Arthur want to punch his loyal knight even more. Just once could Leon do something stupid and potentially dangerous? It couldn't always be up to the others to think of stupid solutions

And then there was Lancelot. Leon was being his normal, annoying, intelligent self. Gwaine was too frustrated to form coherent sentences (a blessing. Arthur didn't think he had the patients to not murder Gwaine tonight). Elyan was too busy trying to navigate the way through the forest to dwell on any of his thoughts. And Percival was too busy trying not to fall now that he was more top heavy. But Lancelot didn't have anything to focus on. His trudge through the forest became a sort of meditation, allowing him to focus on everything that could go wrong while the knight's were away in Camelot.

"Perhaps we should have left more cloaks for him," Lancelot said, nervously toying with the gloves on his hands. Arthur sighed and turned to the knight.

"He is still upset. Plus, Leon gave Merlin his cloak. The boy will be fine," he replied. He was trying very hard not to lose his temper with Lancelot. Normally, Arthur would have had a better hold on his emotions. But he was so worried about Merlin, it kind of scared him. He had barely met the child, and now he was constantly turning over in his mind every bad thing that could happen. These thoughts made Arthur's stomach turn with something intangible. Something that he rarely felt. These feelings towards Merlin, ones of love and the need to protect, caused Arthur to bite his lip, fidget constantly, and feel as though he needed to run away from everything. This was unnatural. This wasn't right. While Arthur didn't think that Merlin would intentionally cast a spell on him, there was a possibility that the child did it unintentionally. The need for love and acceptance was so great that his magic latched onto the first available host. But even this thought didn't stop Arthur from imagining the most unimaginable scenarios. Merlin getting captured by bandits. Merlin being tortured by Cenred. Merlin being trapped in a cave-in, screaming for help but knowing that no one was around. Tears dripping from his face as he slowly accepted his fate to die in the dark, unable to escape.

Arthur was almost glad that it was raining so heavily. The constant need to pay attention to his surroundings provided a small respite from these fears. Putting one foot in front of the other, finding the closest tree to help stabilize his footing, trying to keep up with the rest of the group, these were things that could keep Merlin from Arthur's main thoughts. But as soon as the group stopped to rest, everything would come rushing back. More vivid and frightening than the previous bout. Arthur knew he would probably need one of Gaius' sleeping tonics if he were to make it through the night. So long as it was raining, that would be a reminder that Merlin was still out there. Still alive. Still in danger.

After what felt like an eternity, Arthur and the others saw the great white walls of the citadel appear from over the hills and through the trees. Fires had been strategically lit to provide the guards with some light. To ensure that intruders could be seen from a long way off. Leon breathed a sigh of relief and straightened up.

"Finally," he said. His voice was only slightly hoarse from the heavy breathing that he had been doing during the hike. "I thought we would never make it."

"Let's go," Gwaine growled. "The sooner we get to Camelot, the sooner we can help Merlin." He pushed past the others and began to make his way towards the large gates. Everyone followed quickly. Arthur could see their silhouettes. Every one of them was hunched over. Arms swinging weakly and feet literally dragging on the ground. It was a sad sight indeed. Arthur bet that if he were to see his friends' faces, they would all be ragged with the need for sleep, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up. Arthur took one look back at the forest. He prayed that Merlin would still be alright when they next met.

"I hope he has enough food and fresh water," Lancelot murmured. Arthur didn't know if the comment was directed at him or not. So he just clapped Lancelot on the shoulder and led him towards the citadel.

"He'll calm down, and then we can go see him," Arthur promised. Lancelot nodded, continuing his silent walk towards the castle. It was only about thirty minutes later when the group finally managed to walk through the doors of the Council Chambers. One of the guards at the gate had taken off running when they first appeared to get the king. Arthur had hoped they could have talked about what happened tomorrow. But Uther was a persistent man. Arthur wasn't sure how well he could lie to his father in this state. He hoped Leon still had the mental capacity to create something believable. For as noble and rule following as Leon was, the man was surprisingly at ease with lying to the king. It was sort of frightening and exciting all at the same time.

"Where the hell have you been!?" Uther bellowed as the group managed to all file into the chambers. "And who is that?" Uther wasn't in a good mood. Apparently, Arthur and his men were suppose to have returned at sundown. Though Arthur clearly remembered his father saying not to come back until the beast had been taken care of. His father should really learn to communicate better. Percival dumped Drake on the floor unceremoniously and rolled his shoulders. An audible popping sound came from the joints as the large knight reset his bones. Arthur decided that he should give his father almost the entire truth, leaving out Merlin. If his father knew about the presence of a magical child in Camelot, there would be no stopping his witch hunts. Uther had been known to pursue sorcerers across borders, should he wish to make a point.

"We found the beast and disposed of it. However, we were heading back to Camelot when we were attacked by a group of mercenaries. They were hired to take me alive. I brought back the leader in hopes of discovering who wants me and why," Arthur explained. He left out a lot of information, such as how they managed to defeat the mercenaries, but hopefully Uther wouldn't focus on that. Arthur had given less inclusive reports before and his father never said anything. But now would be the moment when he would decide to grill Arthur for every detail imaginable.

"Are any of you in need of assistance?" Gaius asked. Arthur saw the old man standing behind Uther. He hadn't noticed Gaius when they first walked in. Then again, a dragon could have been in the room and Arthur probably wouldn't have noticed that either. He was so tired. The floor looked like a mighty good place to take a nap.

"No, the men did no damage to us," Leon responded. His voice snapped Arthur out of his sleep-deprived state. Gods he prayed that his father wouldn't have any more questions. Uther studied Leon for a moment before turning to Percival.

"Take him down to the dungeons. I shall interrogate him when he awakes. The rest of you, get some rest," he commanded. Before any of the men could respond, Uther turned on his heels and swept out of the chambers. Gaius sighed and looked at the men.

"Gentlemen, I would like a more complete story tomorrow," he said simply. The old man hobbled out after Uther, leaving the knights to their own devices.

"I'll come with you, Perce" Elyan muttered. Percival nodded and picked up Drake. He hesitated slightly before doing so. He obviously did not want to put such a heavy burden back on his shoulders after being relieved of it. In the end, though, he slung Drake back over him and marched out of the room. Arthur saw the two of them leave before deciding to address Gwaine, Leon, and Lancelot.

"I will see you all tomorrow. Have a good rest," Arthur said. He knew he and the others weren't going to have a very good rest at all. They would all be worried about the child. His only consolation was the fact that they had a plan for getting him to safety. Arthur resolved to ask Gaius more about the magic tomorrow. If he and the other knights were really going to do this, then they needed to know exactly what they were getting themselves into. While Arthur knew Gaius didn't know everything, it beat talking to his _other friend_. Arthur stopped at a particularly large window and watched the rain run down the pane. It distorted the outside image. Things were never going to be the same in Camelot again.

oOoOoOo

"Sire, it is time to rise," George's annoying voice rang out through Arthur's chambers. Arthur squeezed his eyes shut with the sound of curtains being opened. He knew light was flooding the room. He also knew that George was not going to give up any time real soon. Although George appeared to be a bootlicker, following every command the prince gave to the letter, he was also very deviant. A master manipulator, George could get Arthur to do things faster than any other servant. Arthur knew this, though he didn't know how to stop it. It was as if George had his own special brand of magic that gently nudged Arthur towards actions that George wanted him to do. Not that Arthur would ever admit that fact to anyone.

Arthur groaned and sat up. His eyes were still squeezed shut, desperately hoping that he would not have to get up. He and the other knights had arrived late back in Camelot. After the meeting with his father, Arthur needed to bathe to get all the mud out of his hair. After that, it was time for a quick meal. And after George had finally been convinced that Arthur wouldn't die while he was away, Arthur finally got into bed. But he still didn't fall asleep. Oh no, that would have been way to kind for his mind to find a rest. Nope. Arthur then tossed and turned for what felt like hours. Under the blankets he was too hot. With no blankets he was to cold. Laying on his side put an uncomfortable pressure on his shoulder. On his stomach, it was hard to breathe. On his back, he felt restless.

Arthur knew that his lack of sleep (once he got into bed) was entirely Merlin's fault. Even when the boy wasn't here he still annoyed and worried Arthur all at once. How was that even possible? The rain was causing Arthur to worry. He didn't know much about children, but he was sure that temper tantrums didn't normally last through the night. If the rain had stopped it would have caused Arthur to worry. What if something had happened to Merlin and he was unable to help? Arthur felt like cursing Merlin. The boy was doing something completely new to Arthur's emotionally stunted state. Arthur didn't like it. Not one bit.

"Dreadful weather we're having," George stated, attempting to make conversation. There was a slight push in his voice. The push that warned Arthur to get out of bed lest something dreadful happen later. Arthur decided it would be a good idea not toe test George. He opened his eyes and stretched.

"The lady Morgana wishes to dine with you today. So you must get dressed to have breakfast with her," George explained. He was busy digging through Arthur's clothes, trying to decide which would be the most appropriate for a breakfast with the King's Ward.

At the mention of breakfast with Morgana, Arthur became alert. Like a candle had been lit in his brain, he was no longer attempting to trick George into letting him sleep. As much as he loved Morgana, she rarely dined with him unless Uther was forcing them to pretend as though they could actually tolerate her. She was up to something. And when Morgana was up to something, then Arthur was usually dragged into it as well. Sometimes he really did hate that girl.

"Is my father joining us?" Arthur asked. That would put his mind at ease if his father were to be the one to initiate the "family" meal. Though Arthur would have to put up with a constant stream of critiques, he would at least know there was no ulterior motive. Unless his father was trying to marry him off to some princess, again. But an arranged marriage was easier to circumvent than whatever Morgana was planning.

"Not that I know of, sire. It will just be you and the Lady Morgana," he replied. Arthur tried not to groan as he immediately began pondering what Morgana could be up to. It could be another attempt to woo Percival. Or maybe another attempt to force Uther to give commoners more rights. Hell, maybe Morgana just wanted to mess with Arthur by making him constantly worry about what she was planning.

Arthur's mind began playing tug-of-war with itself, trying to decide which worry was the most important at the moment. Morgana won since Arthur was meeting with her today. The rain hadn't stopped, so hopefully that meant Merlin was alive. Gods, Arthur wishes he could go back to being blissfully ignorant about everything. Things were so much simpler when his father's words held only the truth. How things had changed.

oOoOoOo

Arthur rapped his knuckles on the door and was greeted with the sight of Gwen. Oh yay! Another worry! Trying to worry about Morgana's motives, Merlin's wellbeing, and impressing Guinevere was going to be next to impossible. Arthur was glad George insisted on combing Arthur's hair before leaving. Though Arthur really shouldn't be surprised by Gwen's presence. She was Morgana's handmaid and best friend. Besides, wooing her wouldn't be _that_ difficult. He was charming, handsome, and good with a sword. He could ensure that Guinevere felt special during this visit. Unless Morgana decided to make things difficult and continually throw Arthur off his game. She loved doing things like that, the devious witch.

"Thank you, George, you can go now," Gwen said sweetly. She gave George a gently smile, silently urging George to leave without any questions. George looked as though he was going to protest. Then Gwen's expression changed. The smile was still on her face, but she moved her hands to her hips and narrowed her eyes. That stern and slightly frightening expression was enough to halt any of George's protests. The servant gave Gwen a small bow before rushing off down the hall. Gwen could be truly frightening if she desired. Morgana too. The two women were an unstoppable team when it came to scaring people into submission. Arthur felt a little upset at the fact that Morgana and Gwen struck more fear into the hearts of the citizens than he did. He was the future king. Shouldn't they be respecting his decisions?

"Brother dear, come in," Morgana called. Arthur gasped and rushed through the door, closing it behind him. Morgana needed to practice more caution when it came to these things. She thought she was invincible. She thought no one would ever catch her. Arthur knew his sister was lucky, but he still didn't want to take chances.

"Try and keep it down a bit. Anyone could have heard you," Arthur hissed.

"No one is going to find out. We've known for years and only a few of your trusted knights and Gaius knows. Plus it is way too early for anyone of importance to be up. Idle servant gossip doesn't always entertain our noblemen and ladies of the court. Quit worrying," Morgana scoffed. Arthur rolled his eyes. Morgana had a point, but he would never admit it out loud. If word did get around the castle that Morgana had called Arthur her brother, most people would assume it was because they shared a sibling's bond for one another. And that was true, in both blood and spirit.

Three years ago he, Morgana, and Leon had accidently gotten Lord Geoffrey drunk. It was funny at first. The normally reserved scholar began spilling lots of secrets about the castle that not even Gwen knew. And she seemed to know everything when it came to the gossip. Geoffrey told to group about how Lady Margret's baby wasn't her husbands but a servants. He explained how Sir Eric was deeply in debt due to gambling problems. How Sir Ethan and Lady Ellen had started courting one another. Little things. Mostly harmless things that were bound to come up in a castle full of bored and promiscuous nobles.

But then the man started telling the group about Uther and all of the things he had kept hidden. The two biggest secrets being the truth behind Arthur's birth and the truth behind Morgana's parentage. Both revelations came as a shock. Arthur felt as though he were drowning and there was no one there to help him. Uther had lied to him. Uther had lied to his people. That day, Arthur saw a side of his father he never knew existed. Arthur was furious, and glad. Now that he knew that Uther wasn't the perfect king he pretended to be, Arthur could look at his father's policies and see which ones were pure bigotry. Arthur felt guilty. Shouldn't he as a son want to keep his father in the purest of lights? But in the end, Arthur's conscious came through and the thought of him persecuting hundreds of people for merely existing, for his father's own hatred, won. He could fix the mistakes that his father made. He could be a better person. Children didn't strive to be their parents. They strived to be better versions of them.

Of course Gaius found out that Arthur and Morgana now knew. The other knights also were told the truth about Uther's two biggest secrets. Arthur knew other people knew Morgana's relation to the royal family, but he didn't know who knew about his and Morgana's knowledge of the information. Of course when Morgana first found out she flew into a rage. Her focus was mainly on her birth, though a large part was also towards Uther's part in the Great Purge. She felt betrayed that he had left her, that he would never properly claim her as his own flesh and blood. Her first thought was to castrate Uther.

"So that he can never do something like this again!" Was her reasoning. But Leon and Gwen managed to calm her down. Arthur still was unsure exactly what was said to calm Morgana down. But in the end Uther stayed intact. It was only a few months later that Morgana then came to him about her visions. It was confirmed by Gaius that she was a seer. Arthur found a druid who helped Morgana control her visions so that they would be gentler on her. It was all he could do, but the gesture was well received. Morgana's nightmares got better and she and Arthur became closer. But Arthur still worried that he was beginning to distance himself from his father. Their chats weren't as long. He didn't spend as many meals with Uther. Now, it was more like the two of them were king and loyal knight, rather than father and son. Arthur shook his head and pushed these thoughts from his mind. Morgana could smell weakness and attack like a wolf. Another frightening thing about her.

"Did you have a vision? Is that why I am so graciously graced with your presence?" Arthur sneered.

"Graciously graced? Surely you can come up with more grown-up words and more creative words than that," Morgana smirked. She flicked a bit of cheese at Arthur who retaliated with a bit of bread.

"Now children," Gwen scolded, taking a piece of fruit for her own breakfast. "Behave yourselves or else I'm going to have to separate the two of you." Arthur clenched his jaw and looked away from Morgana. It would not do to have Gwen see him as an overgrown child. He was trying to court her, not turn her into his mother. Morgana snickered before straightening up and cutting up some cheese to eat.

"Even if I did have a vision, I wouldn't tell you," Morgana said. She rolled her eyes and tossed her hair back. Arthur fought the urge to kick her from underneath the table.

"You told me about the griffin," Arthur said.

"Only because I had to. You would have died had you not known to use an enchanted lance. It was important. Life and death," Morgana defended.

"You told me about Vivian," Arthur shot back. "Surely me marrying her wasn't life or death?"

"It would have been for me. That woman as my sister-in-law, I'd rather reveal my magic to Uther during a council session," Morgana said. Arthur couldn't help but agree. That girl was absolutely dreadful. Easy on the eyes, but not much else. It probably would have been life or death should Arthur have actually followed his father's wishes and attempted to court the girl.

"She's not that bad," Gwen said. Though her words were strained. Gwen didn't like to say mean things about people. Another reason why Arthur loved her. Then again, Arthur wasn't sure there was anything he didn't love about Gwen. Gods he was turning into a girl. But it was clear from the way she clenched her jaw that Guinevere thought Vivian was not a nice person.

"If you didn't invite me here because of a vision, then why am I here?" Arthur asked. He was trying to get the conversation back on topic. His father would probably excuse him from his morning duties should he mention his breakfast for Morgana. All Morgana would have to do would be to toss her hair, feed Uther some lie about being worried for Arthur's safety, and they would be good to go. Morgana and Gwen looked at each other and giggled. Arthur was on high alert now. They were probably trying to set him up with some girl.

"Tell me about him. I want to know everything." Morgana smiled. Whoa, why did Morgana seem happy for Arthur? And who was this him she mentioned?

"What?"

"Where is he going to live?" Gwen asked. "Elyan was dead on his feet yesterday when he returned so I didn't want to bother him," she explained.

"Who are we talking about?" Arthur asked. Morgana and Gwen didn't hear and instead continued to pester Arthur with questions.

"How old is he? In my visions I see him at various stages so I'm not really sure how old he is," Morgana continued.

"So you did have a vision," Arthur cried in triumph. Morgana rolled her eyes.

"I only tell you because I'm curious. I imagine he'll stay with you or one of the knights until more permanent accommodations can be settled. Gaius would also be a good choice. He needs an assistant" she continued.

"I hope he's cute. We need more eye candy in Camelot," Gwen said. Morgana giggled.

"The knights aren't good enough for you. Talk about your shirtless hotties! And from what I've seen, he's a real charmer. He's kind of got that shy and adorable look to him," Morgana responded. Gwen squealed. At this, Arthur had enough.

"I have no idea what you're talking about so just spit it out," Arthur snapped. Gwen quieted down, making Arthur feel guilty. Morgana glared at him. Her eyes were piercing through him, making him feel even more self-conscious.

"Don't play coy with me. Remember, seer? I know you've met the man who's going to shape you into a great king." Arthur furrowed his brow and stared at Morgana.

"And Kilgarah said you would feel a connection the moment you saw him," Gwen added.

"Wait, wait, wait. You spoke with the stupid lizard?" Arthur asked. He groaned. Kilgarah never gave a straight answer if he could help it. And he kept going on about Arthur trying to find the other half of his coin or some crap like that. Sometimes, a simple map or timeline would really help Arthur in attempting to fulfill his "destiny".

"Well we really didn't have anything to do yesterday, so yes," Morgana responded. Arthur highly doubted that Morgana had nothing to do.

"Guys, I hate to tell you this, but I haven't met anyone recently who is staying with me." Morgana and Gwen looked at each other.

"But my vision showed you meeting during the hunt yesterday. And Kilgarah said that you found Emrys," Morgana said, clearly confused. They were doing that weird silent communication thing that all girls seemed capable of doing.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I didn't meet any bloke named Emrys," Arthur snapped. Sometimes he hated how nondescript Morgana's visions were. Three days ago, she saw Elyan with a stone heart. What the hell was up with that? Sometimes they were really specific and descriptive. Morgana had seen Gwen on the throne several times over the past year. Other times, they were nothing but brief flashed. A battle here, a monster there. No dates or outcomes, just a quick look into the future.

"Emrys isn't his birth name. It's what the druids call him," Morgana snapped. She had that look on her face that made Arthur feel stupid. It wasn't his fault that he didn't know hardly anything about magic! That was Morgana and Percival's area of expertise. "He could be called Joe or Francis or even Bob."

"Bob?" Arthur asked. That wasn't the name he would give to an all-powerful sorcerer.

"Some parents are just cruel to their children," Morgana shrugged.

"Like Lancelot's?" Arthur snickered.

"I think Lancelot is a fine name," Morgana snapped. Arthur was about to retort when Gwen spoke up.

"Children, let's focus on the problem at hand," Gwen said, returning the conversation back to its point of origin. "Now Arthur, you said you didn't meet any man?"

"Except for the one who tried to cut off Leon's head and rip out Gwaine's heart. I really don't think he's your guy," Arthur explained. Gwen gasped and Morgana looked worried.

"Are they alright? Uther didn't tell me anything. He just said not to worry my "dainty little head" over the situation," Morgana said. She looked furious over Uther's terminology.

"First off, if you would stop pretending to have headaches every time you didn't want to do something, then you probably wouldn't be seen as dainty," Arthur said. "Secondly, who the hell thinks you're dainty? You have most of this castle scared of you. And thirdly, everyone is fine. No one even suffered a scratch," Arthur finished. Gwen let out a sigh of relief and sat back in her chair.

"How is that possible?" Morgana asked. Leave it to Morgana to focus on the one aspect that he had tried to keep a secret from everyone. He could tell Morgana, of course he could, but he was worried about who else was focusing on Arthur's weak story. Sometimes he wondered if Uther was an idiot or just selectively ignorant.

"Well this kid came tumbling down a hill and helped defeat-" Arthur's mouth dropped open with realization.

"This Emrys, he's powerful, right?" Arthur asked.

"He's supposed to be the most powerful warlock to ever walk the earth," Gwen affirmed.

"Warlock means…"

"He was born with his powers, he didn't have to learn them like Gaius," Morgana said.

"That means it would probably be pretty instinctual, right?" Arthur asked.

"I would imagine so. Arthur, where is this going? What does this have to do with the kid you found in the woods?" Morgana snapped. Arthur leaned forward and massaged his brow.

"You may think this is crazy, but I think the boy is Emrys," Arthur said. He sat up and looked at Gwen and Morgana.

"When you say boy, how old is he?" Gwen asked.

"He's a boy," Arthur said, throwing his hands in the air. While Merlin had been insistent that he was eight, a part of Arthur still didn't believe that.

"Well that doesn't mean anything. He could be 18 or 21. You and the others think anyone younger than yourselves is a boy," Morgana said, rolling her eyes. How was she not getting dizzy with all this eye rolling?

"He's eight, at the most," Arthur responded.

"And you think he's the most powerful sorcerer to walk the earth?" Morgana asked, almost scoffing at the notion. "Come on, Arthur, even you must have some idea of what a powerful sorcerer is," Morgana exclaimed. Arthur stared at Morgana. He was trying to figure out what Merlin's age had to do with any of this. Surely young people could hold a great deal of power. Gwen saw Arthur's confusion and came to his rescue.

"Most warlocks don't start having powers until they are older," Gwen clarified. Arthur nodded his understanding but continued on his explanation.

"Yeah, well, this one did. He healed a cut on Leon's face, knocked out every mercenary in the clearing, and I'm pretty sure he's causing this storm," Arthur said. His previous worries began to creep back up into his mind. Morgana's vision had been a nice distraction. But they had led back to Merlin. Everything seemed to be leading back to Merlin nowadays.

"That's impossible," Morgana breathed. She was in complete awe of this child.

"He didn't even need a spell when he knocked back the mercenaries. He just screamed," Arthur sighed. Merlin as a normal sorcerer was manageable. Merlin as the most powerful being to walk the Earth, that was going to be a slightly more difficult secret to keep.

"So the man who is supposed to make you a great king is literally a child?" Gwen said. Arthur nodded.

"A very damaged child. Leon and Percival think he's an escaped slave," Arthur explained. Gwen sucked in a breath.

"The poor boy," she exclaimed softly.

"Why didn't he come back with you guys?" Morgana demanded.

"We tried to convince him to come back with us, but it didn't work out." Morgana crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. Arthur was once again guilted into something that wasn't his fault. At least, he was trying to convince himself that causing Merlin to panic wasn't his fault. It wasn't really working. "We crowded him and pushed him too much. He was probably overwhelmed and lashed out. Anyways, he now hates us and doesn't want us anywhere near his cave," Arthur sighed.

"Arthur, you need to bring this boy back to Camelot," Morgana said. Arthur stood up and began pacing the room.

"Don't you think I've tried? Leon thinks we should give him a few days to cool down and then go back. The kid is scared that we'll use him or give him back to his former master," Arthur cried.

"And do you want to use him?" Gwen asked.

"Of course not," Arthur huffed. "How could you even ask that? I want him to be safe."

"Just making sure," Gwen said quietly.

"And why do you think you want to keep him safe? You've only just met the child," Morgana asked.

"I don't know. It's weird, I'll admit. But the feeling is still there," Arthur groaned. He wasn't even sure how to categorize the feelings he felt towards little Merlin. "How is he supposed to help and protect me if he's only eight?"

"Maybe you need to protect him first, make sure he can get to a point where he can protect you," Gwen suggested.

"Maybe. Did Kilgarah mention anything else?" he asked, turning back towards the two women. It was a long shot, but Kilgarah sometimes did mention outright what needed to be done. Morgana huffed and slumped back in her seat.

"He hates me. He never tells me anything," she said.

"He seemed happier that you were going to find the other half of your coin," Gwen added. Arthur groaned. Great, just great. The other half of his coin was an emotionally unstable escaped slave who looked six but insisted he was eight and had very little control over his magic. Arthur was going to go grey just trying to keep the kid's head on. At this rate, he would die before his father due to stress. And he hadn't even inherited the throne yet! He just hoped he and his knights could come up with some plan to keep the boy safe. It was his destiny, after all.

**I hope you all have a great weekend and do something fun. See you next week.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the break I've taken. I really haven't been able to force myself to write anything lately. But, I will do better, hopefully. Have a wonderful weekend and I hope you enjoy this chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.**

Lancelot paced nervously around Leon's chambers. The continual tapping of his leather boots on the stone floor was the only noise in the otherwise quiet chambers. Lancelot was restless to say the least. The man was constantly moving ever since the group had come back from the cave that held Merlin. If Lancelot wasn't pacing, he was drumming his fingers on something. If he wasn't doing that, his knee was bouncing up and down in a rapid motion. The other knights were sitting at a table playing a card game. Gwaine had suggested the group have a sort of "boys night out" in an attempt to get Lancelot's mind off of the boy. However, Leon didn't want to visit a brothel (Gwaine's first suggestion). Lancelot didn't want to drink himself into a stupor (Gwaine's second suggestion). Percival didn't fancy going hunting again (Gwaine's third suggestion). And Elyan wasn't too keen about playing pranks on various castle residents (Gwaine's fourth suggestion). This led to the knights all playing a very boring game of tarot cards in Leon's chambers with very little alcohol and no gambling. Gwaine knew this wasn't his most successful of wild parties. It hadn't even made Lancelot forget about his worries. Gwaine was worried too. He was worried that something terrible would happen to the kid and they wouldn't be able to help him. Instead, the knights were all sitting here playing cards while a poor boy was shivering and alone in the middle of a storm. So yes, the card game was a complete disaster because now everyone was restless and worried about Merlin. Gwaine decided he still needed to try and help Lancelot. That was the point of this entire thing.

"Lance, relax will ya?" Gwaine called. Alright, not his best line. But the other knights seemed to give each other tense smiles before starting to slowly dissipate some of the tension.

"You'll wear a hole through the floor," Elyan added. Lancelot moved the curtains to show rain still pouring down outside. A steady drum beat on the glass pains. The water droplets hit the window with a ping before rolling down and continuing their descent towards the ground. The water obscured the view of the outside, darkening the sky world around and turning it into something dreary and melancholy. Gwaine wished Lancelot would close the curtains. Hopefully then Gwaine would be able to ignore the thoughts of Merlin feeling the same way. He remembered the kid having such a bright smile when he healed Leon, like nothing bad would ever happen. Gwaine looked away from the downpour and tried not to think of Merlin. Lancelot had other ideas.

"Guys, it's been three days. I'm worried," he said, not taking his eyes off the outside world. Below there were a few servants running across the courtyard, trying to not get too wet. Most people were staying inside. Even Arthur had agreed to cancel training until the field they normally practiced on was no longer flooded. Leon sighed and turned towards Lancelot.

"I know you're worried. I'm starting to get worried as well," Leon admitted. "One of us should go down and at least make sure he's okay. This rain could be nothing more than some bad weather." Lancelot nodded. Leon had a point. This wasn't the first time there had been days of rain in Camelot. This could have nothing to do with Merlin whatsoever. But even Leon didn't sound convinced in his reasoning. This wasn't just a coincidence. Something was wrong. Everyone could feel it. It was in the air, in their words, in every action. Merlin was in trouble and they had to be the ones to fix it. It may have been Arthur's destiny to become a great king. The knights might not play any direct role in Merlin and Arthur's relationship. But they still felt a connection with the child. They still cared about the boy and everything he stood for. They couldn't just let Merlin go. They were his guardians.

"I have the afternoon off. I can ride down with some food and blankets and hopefully talk to Merlin some more," Lancelot said. Gwaine put down his cards. Lancelot wrapped himself back in his cloak and made his way towards the door. Hopefully Merlin would be in the mood for talking.

"I'm coming with you," Gwaine said, standing and making his way towards the door. Lancelot was grateful for this act. Merlin seemed to trust Gwaine. It would also be nice to have someone there with Lancelot, just in case things got hairy again.

"Gwaine, you have a patrol this afternoon. You can't skip it," Leon reminded the knight. Gwaine slammed his fist on the table and stood up. The action caused the others to jump.

"Merlin doesn't react well to anyone! He barely knows Lance but he saved my life. He might see me as less of a threat because I owe him," Gwaine shouted. Percival stood up and patted Gwaine on the shoulder comfortingly. Leon straightened the table and attempted to think of things that could convince Gwaine to stay.

"I know you want to help the child," Leon said, "but we can't draw attention to him. If he is going to live here in Camelot with us, we need to keep him as inconspicuous as possible. Uther doesn't have pity on anyone with magic, child or not. We cannot risk Merlin's safety. A knight skipping a routine patrol to visit a former slave in the woods will cause suspicion. Just let Lancelot go, he'll be fine." Arthur had announced to Leon that he had intentions of keeping Merlin with him and the knights. Leon thought it was both the safest option and the most dangerous. No one would expect five knights, the prince, and the king's ward to harbor a sorcerer. And Merlin already knew the knights so he would be more willing to trust them. However, trying to hide a warlock right under Uther's nose was probably the most dangerous thing Leon had ever tried to do. It would be different if the boy could actually control his powers. But from what Leon saw, he was more reliant on his emotions than anything. Still, after Arthur explained that Merlin was to help him unite all of Albion and shape him to be a wonderful king, Leon knew the child needed to stay here with them. This didn't stop Leon from staying up at night and going over every scenario in which he fails as a protector.

"I will take my leave immediately. Hopefully I'll be back by nightfall," Lancelot said. He swept out of the chambers and began to prepare for his journey. Gwaine scowled.

"I have a bad feeling about this," he muttered before turning to prepare for his patrol. Percival and Elyan waved their goodbyes before also leaving the room. Leon sank back in his chair and looked around the chambers. Only a few candles cast light on the room, leaving much of it in shadow. The fire was roaring in an attempt to keep most of the heat in. It as quiet here. Now, there was only the sounds of rain to keep Leon company. A sound that he hoped would be disappearing soon.

oOoOoOo

"Has the prisoner said anything?" Uther snapped. His patience was wearing thin towards the man called Drake. Somebody wanted to take down Camelot and Uther wanted to know who it was. He suspected Cenred. The bastard was always trying to claim lands for himself. Uther continually stopped him, but if this was his doing then there would be nothing that could stop Uther from war. Then there was Odin. Another scornful king who wanted what Uther had. Perhaps these two men were plotting together to overthrow Uther using his son. Well, their plans were going to fail. Uther would make sure of it.

"He refuses to talk," Sir Kay responded. Even facing Uther's wrath, the knight was still composed and not showing a hint of fear. Arthur sighed and leaned back in his chair. Drake awoke yesterday in one of the deepest cells Camelot had. The guards that had been stationed there immediately found Uther who delegated Kay to questioning the man. Uther also had the foresight to put cold iron on Drake so that he couldn't do any magic. Arthur's account of the experience and the reactions of his men were not wished to be repeated. It was also decided that Kay should be the one to do it and not Leon, since Leon had been a victim. But after several hours, Kay still had nothing. Uther was getting more frustrated by the minute.

"Do something harsher then. We need to know who hired him and why," Uther snarled. Kay bowed and exited the room. Arthur tried to pull his attention back to whatever his father and some lords were talking about, but he couldn't help but hear Kay speaking softly to someone else. Arthur looked back to see Leon and Kay talking to one another. Leon glanced at Arthur and motioned for him to leave.

"Excuse me, Father, Leon and I need to discuss some things," he said. He prepared to come up with what exactly Leon wanted to discuss. He didn't think any of them sound very good. But, Arthur didn't end up using any of his excuses. Uther just waved disinterestedly at Arthur. Clearly the yearly grain exports were more interesting than Arthur and Leon's potential topics of discussion. Arthur took that to mean he could leave before standing up and walking to Leon.

"Lancelot is going to talk to Merlin today," Leon whispered, leading Arthur out of the council chambers and into the hallway. A few servants and guards were scattered about.

"The rain hasn't stopped yet, though," Arthur replied.

"That's what has me worried. Something could have happened to the child."

"I agree. It has been getting worrisome. I hope the kid is okay," Arthur said. Last night he had had a particularly bad nightmare about Merlin being found by his father and burned at the stake. The Merlin in his dreams screamed for Arthur to come help him, but Arthur just sat by his father and watched as the child went up in flames. Arthur swallowed and attempted to force the image from his mind. Leon chuckled.

"Careful, sire, you appear to care about someone," he said. Arthur gave him a playful shove before turning into his room.

"Shut up. I just understand what a valuable asset he'll be," Arthur snickered.

"Better not let Morgana hear you say that. She may be your sister, but she will make you suffer should she think Merlin is being mistreated," Leon responded.

"Have you thought of how to keep Merlin with us?" Arthur asked. He had been racking his brain but to no avail. He could always ask Gaius to look after the kid, but Gaius was old and Merlin seemed like he would be difficult to keep an eye on. Of course one of the knights could claim it as their own child, but Uther might not react well to the news. He was always looking for excuses to try and belittle the commoners who had become knights.

"I have some ideas," Leon said, trying to hold back a grin.

"What did you have in mind?" Arthur asked, suddenly suspicious of his senior knight's intentions.

"Oh, you'll see," Leon laughed. Arthur knew it was no use to press for more information. He just sat down at his desk, reading over some documents. It was times like these that Arthur really hated how much he trusted Leon. Knowing the man, Merlin was probably going to become Arthur's servant or something.

oOoOoOo

Lancelot wiped more water from his face as the rain continued to pour down. He really wished Merlin would change the weather to anything else, well maybe not snow. There were some weather patterns that were even worse than a steady downpour. But seriously, why couldn't Merlin make it sunny? Lancelot was cold, wet, tired, and the horse he was riding on was very tired. The entire forest seemed to be one giant mess of mud and water. This little development meant that Lancelot could really only go about half of his normal speed. The horse was breathing heavily and struggling to keep its footing on the slick path. He should have just gone on foot. It probably would have taken the same amount of time.

Lancelot wondered what got Merlin so worked up that the child had caused such a massive rainstorm. While he seemed upset when the knights were pestering him, he also seemed like the kind of person who would forgive easily and not hold a grudge. Perhaps it wasn't magic that was causing such horrible weather in Camelot. Perhaps it was just natural like Leon mentioned before. But Lancelot still felt the need to go and check on the boy. He patted some blankets and packets of food he had tied to the horse to ensure they were still there. When Gwen found out Lancelot was going to visit Merlin, she had laden Lancelot with so much supplies that he had to leave some behind. The blankets would be soaked through, but Merlin could just dry them off with magic should the need arise. Lancelot bit his lip and tried to convince himself that Merlin was still okay, that he wasn't currently dying of some terrible disease or injury bestowed on him by Drake. It wasn't working.

Lancelot got to the cave from before and sighed with relief. He tethered the horse right inside the entrance and relieved her of her burden. Once sheltered from the rain, the horse seemed to perk up. There was still the occasional shiver, but she was resting now and that was all Lancelot needed to know. With his arms full of blankets and food, Lancelot walked to the large boulder that hid Merlin's actual home. It was moved partway, revealing a sliver of the cave. Lancelot peeked in to see Merlin's still form next to the fire, Leon's cloak still draped over him. Lancelot placed the supplies down and sat right by the boulder. He had to go about this carefully. He didn't think bursting into Merlin's home would be the best way to establish trust between them.

"Merlin, it's Lancelot." Lancelot paused for a minute, realizing that Merlin probably didn't know his name. "One of the knights from a few days ago, from the clearing. You helped save us from Drake," Lancelot clarified. Merlin made no indication that he heard him. Lancelot thought the silent treatment was a bit childish, before remembering that Merlin was a child.

"Listen, I know you didn't want to come with us, but we still thought you should have some more blankets and food. Think of it as a thank you for saving us," Lancelot continued. He peeked back around the boulder to see Merlin still lying there. He leaned back and ran his hand through his hair.

"Merlin, I know you can take care of yourself. Your home is amazing and your magic is just beautiful. But we would still like to help you. You wouldn't have to come live with us or anything. We'd just visit a few times a week, talk, bring some food, books, things like that. Is that alright with you?" Lancelot looked back in and groaned when he realized that Merlin hadn't turned towards him once. Clearly Lancelot was wrong. Merlin was the kind of boy who could hold a grudge.

"Look, Merlin, I get that you're angry at us for imposing, but at least stop the storm. The people can't survive much longer if it keeps raining like this. The crops will flood, the food will rot," Lancelot pleaded. He hated using a guilt trip and it may only serve as a backlash later, but he was desperate to get Merlin to talk with him. He heard a small whimper and turned back. Something in his gut was telling him something wasn't right. It was the same feeling that had been with him since they left Merlin three days ago. But now it was stronger. It was almost painful and it was pulling desperately on Lancelot, begging him to go into the cave with Merlin. Lancelot decided this was the best action. Merlin may be upset, but maybe if Lancelot was in the cave, he'd feel less angry. Lancelot stood and ducked under the entrance. He stepped into the cave and realized that the fire wasn't going like it should be. It was barely giving off heat. Lancelot added some logs and continued to look around. It was much darker and drearier than when he first came in. There was only a single orb of light floating aimlessly in the cave. There was no direction like before when the orbs had been placed to give the best amount of light. Lancelot looked at Merlin and realized that the child was shaking badly. Lancelot gasped and rushed towards his side. He put his hand on the boy's shoulder and withdrew it immediately; Merlin was burning up. He was so hot that even touching him hurt.

"Merlin!" Lancelot cried, shaking the boy gently. Merlin groaned and curled into a tighter ball. Lancelot pulled back Leon's cloak and widened his eyes when he saw Merlin's pant leg bunched up to reveal a badly infected cut. It looked as though a talon had sliced the young boy's leg. Merlin had never properly cared for the injury, that much was obvious. No wonder he hadn't answered Lancelot. He was dying.

Lancelot looked wildly around for anything that could help Merlin, but none of the herbs were labeled and there were too many floating around for Lancelot to find yarrow. Now the signs of Merlin's illness had began to fully hit Lancelot. The single light that was probably created out of habit rather than purpose. The sagging plants that were barely scraping the ground. Scraps of meat that had just fallen where they had previously hung. The cave was a mere shadow of itself, unable to truly be the beautiful splendor that Merlin had created before.

Lancelot looked back at the feverish boy before making a decision. Merlin was getting help whether he wanted it or not. Besides, he was in no state to say no the Lancelot or fight his decision. With this thought, Lancelot wrapped Merlin back in Leon's cloak and scooped him up into his arms. He squeezed back through the entrance, which was harder with Merlin in his arms, and ran to his mare. He set Merlin in the saddle. He untethered her and led out our of the entrance of the cave before swinging up behind the boy and galloping back to Camelot. The mare seemed to sense Lancelot's urgency and did her best to speed herself up. The horse started to slow after a while, due to the mud. Lancelot groaned and continued to urge her forward. He wondered how long Merlin had had the cut and why he hadn't done anything to help it. He knew about herbs, surely he could have dressed it and healed it.

Lancelot finally made it back to Camelot and tore through the streets. Luckily no one was out because of the bad weather. He entered the courtyard and sprinted towards Gaius' chambers. Someone would deal with his horse later. Right now he had to make sure the child in his arms got proper care. Lancelot vaulted through the doors, causing Gaius to jump. Gaius took one look at the boy before moving about the room.

"Put him on the bed," he barked. Lancelot gently placed Merlin on the patient's cot and unwrapped the cloak around his shoulders.

"What happened?" Gaius asked.

"I don't really know. He has an infected cut and a high fever," Lancelot explained. He was glad Gaius didn't ask who he was or why Lancelot brought him in. He simply continued to mix a potion together. Lancelot collapsed on the chair besides the bed and took Merlin's small hand in his own. It was going to be a long night.

**Not really my best chapter. But now Merlin is in Camelot. Yay! I will see you next week with the next chapter. Have a great day.**


End file.
